Visits
by HogwartsAdoptedSon00
Summary: James Potter I decides to pay a few people some visits. He also notices that Snape is awfully unfair to the Potter children and he intends to solve that. He speaks with his grandchildren, daughter-in-law, talks to his favorite professor and gives Harry the explanation he deserves.
1. Professor McGonagall

"Minerva, I must say you're being a bit harsh on those boys."

Her eyes snapped up from her work and settled on a ghostly figure sitting before her. She rubbed her glasses, hoping to find out that she was seeing things. But he was still there. James Potter, former Marauder, was sitting in her office.

Her mouth opened but no sound came out. It was clear she was struggling to find the words. Say something, anything! As long as it's coherent english, Minerva thought. "James Potter? How-why?"

James took a look around the office and shrugged his shoulders. "One minute I was in Harry's dream, the next minute I'm here. Why they'd want to send me back to this ruddy place is beyond me. God knows I tried for years to get expelled. Got a fair number of detentions though."

"I remember, I administered most of those detentions," Minerva chuckled at her old student's forwardness. "You never did beat around the bush, did you?"

James cocked an eyebrow. "Shall we skip the 'you haven't a changed at all' bit?"

"Why should we start lying to each other now, James?" she clucked her tongue, remembering all the times he had asked her in front of the class if she licked herself even in her human form.

He held out his arms expectantly. "Well, are you going to transfigure me so I can give my most favorite teacher a hug or am I going to stay transparent?"

She smiled and with a wave of her wand, James materialized as a regular human being. Even with her skill, she was astounded by the accuracy of the transfiguration. He had the same pale skin and messy black hair that he had when he was alive. James placed his arms around his teacher's shoulders and hugged her tightly.

"It's been awhile since we've last seen each other. Actually, the last time I was in this office it was because Sirius lured Snape into the Shrieking Shack. Gave you a right scare, didn't it?" Jame laughed sheepishly as McGonagall sat back down behind her desk.

Minerva's eyebrows raised at the mention of Sirius' name. "You four were certainly a few pieces of work. Speaking of Sirius, how is he?" as she asked the question, she couldn't help but feel stupid. Here she was asking a dead person about another dead person.

"He's..." James trailed off uneasily. "It's been twenty two years and he hasn't spoken to Harry yet, he's about to go crazy. I think he was a bit jealous when I told him I was being sent here for the day."

She nodded understandingly. "Those two were quite close. But he is your son, he has no reason to be jealous."

"Sirius will be just fine. How have _you_ been?" He asked a hint of mock concern in his voice as his eyes fell upon the glass of wine sitting on her desk. He eyed it suspiciously and then raised his eyebrows interestingly. "Never knew you to be much of a drinker Professor.."

"Trust me," McGonagall took out a thick folder and dropped it on her desk. "It's justified. Your grandsons are about to drive me crazy."

"Ahhh yes, Albus is a nice young lad," he said fondly. "The other one's named James Sirius, isn't he?"

She nodded and pushed the file forward, urging him to pick it up. "And for good reason. Every time I look at him, I get a headache. Much like what used to happen when you and Sirius were students."

"So you've resorted to wine..."

Minerva took a long sip after responding to him. "Wine, brandy, scotch,...I have been in search of something stronger ever since the boy stepped foot on the grounds. And don't get me started on his cousins. It's like he and Albus have teamed up with Fred and Louis to make my life as difficult as humanly possibly."

James nodded knowingly and for a minute she thought she even saw a proud smile flash across his face. "The Weasleys. There are several of them at Hogwarts, yes?"

"They breed like rabbits, the lot of them!" McGonagall exclaimed. "But those particular four just work on my last nerve! They would've certainly given the Marauders a run for their money."

"They'd have to be pretty awful to that," he suggested calmly. "Why don't you try going easier on them?"

McGonagall's eyes opened wide in horror. "I beg your pardon, Potter?" James gulped, he knew he was in for it. Here he was a grown man, graduated, married, had a child and died, and she had referred to him by his surname like a student. He had done it now.

"I just suggested that-er-maybe you could ease up, you know boys will be boys," James said in an unsteady voice. She was glad to know she still had this intimidating effect on her students. Even when they come back from the grave. Minerva almost smiled.

Almost. There was no room for smiling, they were after all, still on the topic of Potters and Weasleys. "Boys will be boys, Potter? Those boys made it snow my office and they turned it into a skating rink!"

There it was again. That proud smile had flickered across his face. "Really? They're all in the lower years. That's actually kind of impressive."

"Impressive is irrelevant! It took myself, Harry, four other aurors and three days time to put it right!" McGonagall said as she broke into a fit of laughter.

James eyebrows raised. "You seem to be amused."

She shook her head as she continued to chuckle. "With these bunch around, if you don't laugh you'll cry."

"That bad?"

"They made Peeves cry," she shuddered, remembering when Fred and James setting firecracks off in the poltergeist's ears. He hadn't bothered anyone for weeks after that.

James was now grinning from ear to ear. "Serves that git right. I'm damn proud."

"JAMES!"

He jumped at the professor's shrill use of his name. "What? He's bloody annoying and you know it! Those boys did every student and teacher here justice if you ask me! I remember when he slipped firewhiskey in the staff's pumpkin juice-"

"Never speak of it," McGonagall said firmly. "And don't you tell those boys about it either. It will only serve as another thing that they can use against us teachers. Snape would probably blow his top."

James' mouth dropped open. "I'll have to drop by his office later today. We've got some unsettled business to finish."

"Don't you go digging up old-" Minerva began in a warning tone.

He placed a hand on top of hers to stop her. "And about those four troublesome boys. Stop fretting so much about them, give them a little room to breathe," He said as his eyes found a picture from his second year Quidditch season. Sirius and Remus had James on their shoulder and Peter was kneeling beneath them.

James tapped the picture reflectively. "After all, these boys turned out to be pretty decent wizards. Didn't they?" She smiled at him. "I never doubted that they would." He gave her a disbelieving look.

"Okay, maybe once or twice I doubted that you lot would ever do anything besides torture Snape," she admitted. "But more than not, I always knew you four would be just fine."

He nodded understandingly."Aside from Pettigrew, that is. He's the reas-" His tone began to flare in anger.

"Let it go, James. It's in the past. There's no use getting all worked up about it now," she said carefully tiptoeing around the subject. "Now am I right in assuming that I'm not the only visit you planned to make?"

James sighed deeply before nodding again. "Actually quite a few people."

"Then you should be on your way," McGonagall said coolly. He prepared to disapparate but she stopped him. "James?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "Yes?"

"It was good seeing you."

James smiled back at her before disapparating. "It was good seeing you too, Professor."


	2. Albus Severus Potter

So far he'd learned that no one, besides those he had been sent to visit and those who were already dead, could see him. He was like a ghost with human properties. How tempting it would be to drop in on those Dursleys and wreak havoc on that God forsaken house of theirs!

They had a two story house with more than enough room, yet they decided to keep Harry under the staircase in a cupboard and when they finally put him in a bedroom, they put bars on his window like he was some kind of animal. It made him livid every time he thought about it.

"Who to visit next?" James said as he tapped his chin. "Let's see, ah! Almost forgot I had this," He said taking out the Marauders Map which he had nicked from McGonagall's office when she wasn't looking. First year Albus Severus was leaving the Quidditch pitch and heading in the direction of the Gryffindor Tower.

"Excellent!" he exclaimed and started walking in the same direction.

Soon he came across Albus standing in front of the portrait. James gaped at the similarities between Albus and himself. This boy was like a carbon copy of James with his round spectacles and messy black hair. He was dressed in his Quidditch robes and looked rather sad. Earlier James heard several students talking about the thrashing Gryffindor had put on Slytherin...and if that was so, then why did this lad have such a long face?

"Bonfire toffey," his youngest grandson said and disappeared into the portrait hole. James rushed up to the Fat Lady's portrait, hoping to make it through the portrait hole before it closed, but it was too late.

James gave her an annoyed look. "Bonfire toffey."

"Oh no, not you again," she rolled her eyes. "The last time I let you in, you set fire to three first years. They had to put a fireproofing charm on these walls. But since you know the password," the Fat Lady said regretfully as she swung open. "Enter."

He smiled at her and gave her a thankful nod as he proceeded through the portrait hole. It was darker than he remembered and he stumbled along until he finally came to the end.

It didn't take long to spot Albus from where he was standing. He hadn't even gone to his room to change out of his Quidditch robes. Albus was just sitting on the sofa in the common room, staring sadly at the Snitch in his hands.

"Mind if I join you?" James asked quietly as he sat beside Albus.

His eyes widened and he stood up so fast that he almost fell over his robe. "You're-you're," the younger wizard looked around as though making sure no one was watching them. "You're James Potter," Albus declared in almost a whisper.

James decided to play along. He got up and checked the corridors, looking around the room as though he were seriously checking for eavesdroppers before turning back to Albus. "Yes I am," he whispered back.

"Are you mocking me?" Albus asked, clearly annoyed.

The older wizard shrugged his shoulders. "And if I were?" James quipped sarcastically.

"And that's why my brother is named after you," he muttered as he plopped back down on the couch. "Wait-how did you get in the tower? How did you get here? How did you know I was here?" Albus questioned his grandfather suspiciously.

A slow smile spread across James' face. "It's a long explanation. One minute I'm in Harry's dream, the next minute I'm here. And I found you because I nicked the Marauder's Map from McGonagall's office," James explained. "Speaking of which, you boys seem to spend a lot of time in there."

Albus' face dropped significantly. "The great James Potter is going to give me a lecture on behavior? That's rich," he hissed sourly.

"What's got your wand in a knot?" James asked calmly. "You should be head over heels. Slytherin's a really rough team. And by the looks of it," he motioned to the Snitch that was in Albus' hand. "You played a good role in securing the win."

"Yeah, I guess, I don't even think I like the game anymore," Albus replied half-heartedly. "It's always James that gets the glory. The girls after the Quidditch game always want to talk to him. He gets all the interviews. Mum and Dad constantly gush about his stats. And he just...Always. Steals. My. Thunder."

James nodded though he couldn't relate. He was an only child and was used to having all of the attention. He would even go as far as to say he expected, the spotlight to be on him at all times when he was Albus' age. "How so? How does he steal your thunder?"

"Take today for example," Albus started with a sigh. "I caught the Snitch out of a 100 ft dive but all Holly Jordan, my girlfriend, could talk about is James' eighteen goals and how he did a hand stand on his broom! 100 ft, that's breaks Dad's longest dive!"

James stared into space for awhile before answering him. "Why do you play Quidditch, Albus?"

His eyebrows furrowed. No one had ever asked him that before so he didn't really know. But he couldn't just leave the question unanswered, could he? "Well, it makes me feel good when I catch the Snitch. But-"

"And you're a good seeker, aren't you?" His grandfather cut him off again.

Albus nodded reluctantly. He still didn't see the point in this line of questioning. "Yeah but-"

"So," he said conclusively cutting Albus off once more. "You play for satisfaction and not for the spotlight. But James, seems to play for the sole purpose of showing you up and taking your girlfriend."

"You're really not helping my self-esteem."

James breathed an exasperated sigh. "What I'm trying to say is if you continue to worry about your brother and his...rather showy style of playing, then you'll begin to resent the game Al. And from what I've heard about you today," he said grabbing the Snitch out of his hand. "Gryffindor can't afford to lost the best seeker it's seen in centuries."

"I'm hardly better than you or Dad. I saw you and Dad's names in the trophy room."

James held up a finger as though he'd made an extraordinary discovery. "Ah, but I'm dead. And with the way Harry runs around after trouble, he'll be in my position if he's not careful. And who knows?" he nudged Albus encouragingly. "One day your name could be in there."

Albus looked up with at his grandfather with a twinkle of hope in his eyes. "Do you really think so?"

"You're a Potter," James said ruffling the young boy's hair. "I know so. Hey, is the pitch empty?"

The younger Potter looked slightly confused at this question. "Yeah, why?"

James threw the snitch up in the air and then tossed it to Albus. "I was thinking about how I've never actually got to see you play. And since I'm here for the moment, why don't we change that? We'll go out to the pitch and see who catches the snitch first. That is if you're not scared."

Albus took the older man's hand and shook it, never breaking eye contact. "Alright old man," Albus agreed fiercely. "May the best Potter win."


	3. James Sirius Potter

The raven haired wizard lowered his head in shame as he walked away from the Quidditch pitch. He was really losing it. Albus, a first year, had caught the Snitch in under three minutes and James hadn't even gone easy on him! He really gave it everything he had.

He fingered the Snitch in his pocket and smiled. Albus insisted that he keep it, that it was good luck. Not wanting to be outdone by his grandson, James had given him back the Marauder's Map and a new addition to the collection of mischeivous items, the Invisiblity Cloak. He smiled to himself when he recalled Albus throwing his arms around him and suddenly, he wished he didn't have to leave.

Merlin had warned him about this. But he had convinced the old wizard that he could handle going back. And now he wasn't so sure that he could but he would have to.

The last place James had seen "the arrogant toerag", as Albus called him, before giving the map back was by the Black Lake with cousins Fred and Louis Weasley. Surely nothing good would come of the three of these boys hanging around the Black Lake.

His walk turned into a brisk jog in an effort to quicken his journey towards the lake. By the time he did reach there, he was doubled over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath behind a tree.

"Expelliarmus! Levicorpus!"

"STOP IT!" a shrill voice cried.

From where he was standing he could see four boys: two gingers, the Weasleys no doubt. One head of messy black hair, definitely James II. And a blonde haired boy hanging upside down in mid-air, this was definitely Malfoy. He wanted to go out further to see if he could help but he decided to stay where he was and see exactly what was happening.

"Take it back Malfoy! Or you'll be food for the Squid!" James II shouted earning a grunt of approval from Fred and Louis.

This kid clearly doesn't know what he's talking about, the older wizard thought. The Squid, although intimidating because of its size, never hurt students and in fact, even helped students when they fell in the lake. But by the way this Malfoy child was screaming, it was evident that he didn't know that.

Fred tapped his foot impatiently. "I dunno Jamie, maybe we should drop Scorpius in the lake and let him wash out that filthy mouth of his." Louis nodded in agreement.

James II grinned at his cousins and lowered his wand, bringing Scorpius' head just above the water. "You're gettin' kinda heavy, Malfoy. And I'm gettin' sorta tired. So either you apologize for saying what you said or...no, wait. That's your only option."

"I won't apologize! Your grandmother was what she was and you Weasleys are blood traitors, the lot of you!" Malfoy shouted as he kicked and screamed, still suspended in the air.

James II shrugged and lowered his wand. "Finite incantatem." Malfoy quickly descended towards the water and hit the surface with a plop sound. He was struggling to keep his head above water, James noticed. But he still couldn't do anything, not yet atleast. He really wanted to see how far James II would take this little 'prank'.

"Descendo!" the black haired boy shouted, causing Malfoy to go under for a longer period this time. Fred and Louis high-fived each other when Malfoy began to cry.

Alright little James, you've had your fun, he thought to himself. "Expelliarmus," James whispered and watched in delight as all three boys' wands flew several feet from where they were standing. They all turned around in shock, trying to find the pepetrator. While their backs were turned, he decided he might as well help Malfoy.

"Ascendo," James pointed his wand towards the water. Scorpius began to rise from the water, though his legs and arms were still thrashing about as though he were still in distress. Once safely over the ground, he hit the dirt with a hard thud and didn't waste any time in running away from his tormentors.

"Who's there?" Fred shouted. "Show yourself!"

Idiot, not that you can see me anyway, James thought.

Louis, looking genuinely frightened, turned on his heels to head back towards the castle. "Come on guys let's go back to the castle. McGonagall will be wondering where we are." Fred nodded and began to walk back with Louis. When they noticed that James II wasn't moving, they stopped.

"Come on James," Fred urged. "You really want to be attacked by some invisible force again?"

James II looked directly at the tree where his grandfather had been hiding the whole time and smirked knowingly. He knows, James thought."It's not an invisble force, I think I'll stick around to check it out. You guys head back to the castle." The two boys shrugged and went on their way.

Once he saw that Fred and Louis were gone, he revealed himself. "How'd you know?"

"Wild guess." He said sitting down next to James on the grass. "So you're James Potter..."

"So are you," James pointed out. "And I saw your little performance over there with Malfoy."

The younger wizard looked at his feet, a hint of shame crossing his features. "I guess you probably think I'm the world's biggest git, huh?"

"No but congrantulations, you're atleast in the top ten," James shook his grandson's hand jokingly. "But I know better than anyone else how these things work. Back in my day, we used to torture Snape."

James II eyebrows shot up in interest. "Really? Way to go Grandpa James! So it's okay that I-"

He shot him a disapproving look. "No it's not okay."

"But you just said-" James II began.

Holding up a finger to interrupt him, James cut him off. "I said I know better than anyone else how these things work. And I know that there's always a reason, it's usually a stupid reason, but a reason nonetheless."

"Well-" James II began, his mouth twisting into an uneasy half-smile. "Well he called Fred and Louis blood traitors. And he called Grandma Lily a filthy mudblood."

James sighed deeply before muttering something about 'history repeating itself'. "And that upset you?"

"Well, yeah."

"You know, your grandmother's best friend called her a mudblood once," James recalled. "And she still found it in herself to forgive the old, greasy git."

"Old grea-GRANDMA LILY WAS BEST FRIENDS WITH SNAPE?" he exclaimed in horror. James nodded and laughed at the look of surprise that was still evident on the boy's face.

"They were the best of friends," James said in a voice that exemplified concealed disgust. "So if she can forgive him, then I think you can forgive that Scorpius Malfoy kid. And I think you owe him an apology as well."

James II gasped. "You're not serious?"

"Swallow your pride. If Lucius or Draco Malfoy comes after you," he started with a scoff. "I wouldn't want to have to come back just to hex them. So be a good boy-and stop stealing Al's girlfriends."

Red spread across the boy's cheeks. "I'm going to-"

"Stop showing off in Quidditch is what you're going to do, and here," James said reaching into his back pocket and taking a out a folded picture. It was an enchanted picture of Dumbledore's Army. "Harry gave this to me in his dream but I think you should hold onto it. So you'll know what kind of battles are worth fighting."

James II stuffed the picture, along with his wand, into his pocket. "I should be getting back to the castle. McGonagall's probably all set on killing me by now."

"We had a good conversation earlier today. I doubt she'll be upset. But so help me Merlin," James said in a threatening tone. "If you ever make it snow in her office again-atleast have the decency to call me so I can be there."

He blinked in surprise. "I can just call you and you'll be there?"

"In a heartbeat."

James II nodded understandingly. "Alright, Grandpa. I'll hold you to that."

James looked up at the tower window from where they were sitting and cringed. "McGonagall doesn't look too happy. Maybe we should get you back up there. Take my hand."

"But don't you have to go to Dad and Lily and everyone else?" the younger Potter asked as he took the outstretched hand.

James nodded. "But I've got one more person in the castle I've got to visit."

"Who?" James II asked nosily.

"Snape," was the quiet response.


	4. Severus Snape

After a long-winded telling off from McGonagall about the two coming back to the castle so late, James was now sitting in the office that used to belong to Professor Slughorn. He and Sirius had spent a lot of time in here, nicking potions and receiving lectures from Slughorn on 'how great they could be'. But he was here on different business this evening.

James was getting awfully tired of looking through the window from heaven to Hogwarts and seeing not only his grandchildren, but their cousins, being treated unfairly because of some personal vendetta Snape held against him from their high school days. He would put an end to that tonight.

He grinned joyfully as the door knob began to turn. This was it. If Snape had ever wanted his chance at vengeance, now was it. James watched the door intently as it opened. "Stupid, arrogant Potters and those clueless Weasleys," Severus mumbled as he closed the door behind him.

"You wouldn't be talking about my grandsons, would you?" James asked, sitting casually in Snape's chair.

Snape almost dropped the package that he was holding. "You," he spat. "YOU!" Snape rushed towards James but rolled the chair out of his reach, causing the Potions professor to collide with his desk.

"Temper, temper Severus," James warned, wagging a finger at him. "We wouldn't want any one to get hurt, would we?"

Snape's lips were pulled back, baring his teeth. "I beg to differ."

"I knew you would say that," he replied calmly. "But seeing that I'm dead-there's only your safety to worry about. And I'd say that it's definitely in jeopardy after the way you treat those boys."

Severus scofffed and whipped out his wand. "This isn't fifth year, you know. I'm equipped with hexes and curses that you couldn't imagine, not even in your wildest dreams."

James put his hands together and gave a round of applause. "Bravo, Severus. Good for you. However, I still think you're missing the point that I'm dead. You can't hurt me and I really don't want to hurt you unless you make me."

He scoffed again. "Hurt me! I see death hasn't been able to deflate that big head of yours," Snape countered quickly. "I am a Potions master and a DADA teacher-"

"And you were also a death eater, weren't you?" James said fingering the mask that hanged on the wall. "Too bad this new generation of Hogwarts don't know anything about that."

Snape's eyes narrowed at his high school tormentor. "You wouldn't."

"Try me," James shot back.

A dry laugh came from Severus. "Not that anyone would believe you. And besides, we wouldn't want anything to happen to those precious grandsons of yours, would we? It would be a shame if the word crucio should happen to slip-"

That was the breaking point for James. In a split second he had driven Snape up against the wall, his wand in his hand, pressing into Snape's throat. "Then I would make you a very, very sorry man...Snivellus."

Snape pushed James away and the veins in his neck were now more clearly defined. "Don't call me-"

"I'll call you what I want!" James' voice over-ruled Snape's and pushed him back against the wall. He tried to fight back but this time James casted a binding spell on Snape so he couldn't move. "You know, Lily really wanted me to talk to you. She didn't appreciate the way you were treating her grandchildren either."

"You dare speak about her in front of me," Snape snarled a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"And why should I not? She is after all my wife," the former Marauder retorted. "Yeah that's right, my wife that was just a filthy little mudblood to you. I bet you're really regretting that moment in fifth year now, aren't you? I was just telling James Sirius all about how she'd so kindly forgiven you..."

Snape growled in frustration. Here he was, an experienced Defense Against The Darks Art teacher, and he had just been rendered helpless by a spell casted by a dead person that he loathed with all his cold heart. "You will put me down."

"You will never put your slimy hands on either of them again or their cousins," James said. "Yeah, I know all about their detentions. You're going to stop caning them. And if you don't, the next time I come here...it's going to be your greasy ass bent over that desk. And there will be an audience, just like old times."

For a moment, it was just the sound of their breathing filling the room. Neither dared to speak or show any sign of fear. Snape, however, was the first to break through the empty silence first.

"Fine, Potter. I won't cane your precious grandchildren or their cousins anymore. Now let me down," Snape ordered grimly.

James smirked. "That's the Sniv-Severus, I know. Finite Incantatem," waving his wand, the Potions & DADA master came crashing to the ground. "And trust me Snape, you of all people should know that I make good on my threats."

"Get out," Snape sneered under his breath as he gathered himself up of the floor. "OUT!"

James proceeded towards the door and looked back over his shoulder before leaving. "This was fun. We should do this again sometime. Sometime soon."


End file.
